Course syllabus

LINGUIST 722: Phonology

SEMESTER 2, 2020

15 points

201E-912

Teacher: Associate Professor Jason Brown

Office hours: Monday 11-12

Office: Arts 2 - Room 329

Email: jason.brown@auckland.ac.nz

Course delivery format:

2 hours of seminar

(Timetable and room details can be viewed on Student Services Online)

Summary of Course Description:   

This course is about the speech sounds of the languages of the world. Given that there are 6,000+ languages in the world, there is a rather large range of variation in the sounds that are used to put together words and phrases in language, as well as the rules that govern those sounds.

The aim of this course is to explore the dynamics of speech sounds through the lens of modern phonological theories and approaches. Many contemporary approaches assume that the analysis of one language could lend insights into the structure of other languages, or in the typology of languages, making predictions about how speech sounds behave. Sometimes these approaches make good typological predictions; other times, there are glaring counterexamples.

This course will lead students through a "greatest hits" of contemporary phonological theory, asking the questions: "Are we describing languages in the right way? Are we analysing them in the right way? What insights do alternative approaches lend to the study of the structure of a particular language, or what universals exist which underlie all of the world's languages?"      

 Course outcomes:

In this course you will be expected to learn some of the basic principles behind phonological theory.  There is a practical component, where we will explore some of the topics we discuss in more detail by using phonetics/phonology software.

A student who successfully completes this course will have the opportunity to:

• acquire advanced knowledge of phonological theory
• understand and carry out a phonological analysis
• acquire skills in essay writing

Coursework Assessment and Exam Details: May be subject to change prior to the beginning of Semester.

Essay proposal [500 words]                 =          10% (due 28 August)

Literature Review [2000 words]       =          25% (due 9 October)

Essay [3500 words]                                   =          65% (due 30 October)

All coursework to be submitted through Canvas

Prescribed Texts:

Reading list on Canvas

 Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:           

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. 

Deadlines and submission of coursework:

Deadlines for coursework are non-negotiable. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you will be required to provide a doctor's certificate before the assignment is due. All late assignments without a pre-approved extension will be penalised 2 marks per day late.

Inclusive learning:

Students are urged to discuss privately any impairment-related requirements face-to-face and/or in written form with the course convenor/lecturer and/or tutor.

Academic Integrity:

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence.  The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting his or her learning.  Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced.   This requirement also applies to sources on the world-wide web.  A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms.